Puppet
by Sasha Janre-Ishtar
Summary: Tormented relentlessly by a horrific nightmare portraying his own death at the hands of a demonic woman, Seto Kaiba's a shell of his former self. He's a puppet on thin strings ... controlled by who? (Rated R)
1. Chapter 1

**Puppet  
A Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction**  
  
**Disclaimer:** The closest thing I own related to Yu-Gi-Oh! Is a plastic figurine of the Pharaoh himself, sitting on a lego bomb shelter inhabited by blocks made by Amy. That's about it though. If I did own them, I'd give half the cast brains. What I do own is my character Sasha, and Rick her twin who will appear later. Amy owns Skye if she shows up, but it's like my warped version of before Battle City.   
  
**Info:** In the Neo Gemstone Guardians (my rather cursed attempt of an original novel), Sasha is the Guardian of Darkness. Since darkness is such a vast element, it's hard to narrow it down. In her 'true' form, she's a necromancer, white streaked hair, and a rotting skeletal left arm.   
  
**What the hell is a Necromancer?** A Necromancer controls the dead. They can raise the dead and make them their zombies. And, in the case of any supernatural beings, when dead, they can take their powers, and use it for themselves. Also, this is going to have lots of character death and gore, so if you're weak at heart ... ehh .... happy trails?   
  
* * *  
  
**Part 1**  
  
_"What are you doing in my house?" I demanded, staring ahead in the desolate hallways of my estate, at the figure before me. It was late, after midnight. The sound of the house settling was the only thing that could be heard. I had been working late (no surprise) on a new program for the areas I was perfecting. The sound of a chair crashing alerted me, and I walked out of the computer lab to see what the hell that was. All I could see was the faint outline of a black trenchcoat. "Answer me!"   
  
The person took a step forward, ignoring me. The temprature dropped, and I refused to let my body shiver. Who the hell was this freak show? I had to give them credit. No one's penetrated my home security system. "Seto Kaiba," she whispered, her tone chillingly cold. It reminded me of the tone I usually held for Yugi and his band of moronic friends. "Your soul ... of the Pharaoh's High Priest .. belongs to me."   
  
My brows furrowed, and I folded my arms. Great. Some critically insane freakshow found their way into my house. I have some serious reprogramming to do in the morning. "Get out of my house."   
  
Her eyes narrowed, I saw then the murderous intent within them. Even better .. she wasn't joking around. "I am not leaving until your soul is mine." Suddenly the cloth covering her left arm dropped, and my eyes widened seeing ... a skeletal arm, from her fingers up to her elbow was .. completely stripped of skin and muscle. The bone was frighteningly covered in black veins. One of my maids stood horrified behind her, following me to see what all the commotion was about. The woman turned and held out the skeletal arm, a black energy surrounding it. The maid was thrown against the wall at terminal velocity, killing her instantly. As she clenched her skeletal fist, I watched on in horror as the maid's spine, skull and cheekbones were ripped with a sickening 'SPLAK' and formed into a sword. "Let me reiterate ... I will not leave until you're dead." Suddenly she lunged at me.  
  
I never saw her face, it was permanently covered in shadows as she slammed the skeletal sword into my chest. I cried out, loud enough to wake the dead, but no one heard. Twisting the 'blade' into me, the moonlight shone from the window, and with the last bit of strength I had, I strained to see her face ---_   
  
Cold sweat poured down Seto Kaiba's lithe frame. His entire body was consumed with a shiver that refused to leave. It was that same nightmare. For three weeks now he was tortured with the same vision of a strange female in black. With supernatural powers, a skeletal arm ... and his own death. But the one thing that continued to plague him was her identity. Each time it ended the same way. Moonlight sifting in through the large hallway windows, hitting her face just right, but before his eyes focused on her features, he woke up in a cold sweat.   
  
"Who the hell is she?" he muttered to himself, getting off the bed. With shaky legs he walked to his bathroom and stared long and hard into the mirror. Bags were forming under his eyes, his eyes were empty, his skinny frame surprisingly wasn't attributed to anorexia, though the tabloids frequently suspected he had an eating disorder. Pressing his palms hard against the marble counter of his sink, Seto took a deep breath. "It's just a stupid nightmare," he told himself. "Nothing to get worked up about." Seto was silent for a moment before groaning. "Then why can't I get over it?"   
  
His reflection didn't answer his question. All it did was stare back at him and reiterate how poorly he was taking care of himself. Mokuba constantly pleaded with him to go to bed early, to eat breakfast ... but Seto ignored him. Work ... there was always so much work to be done. The idiots at Kaiba Corporation couldn't handle anything on their own for a second. But his thin body screamed for rest, his head was ravaged with daily migranes, his eyes probably needed to be checked. But there was no time. No ... time ....   
  
Seto took another deep breath and closed his eyes for a long while. Calming his heart, which was pounding thunderously in his chest, he exhaled slowly. He opened his eyes and let out a shout of horror. There, instead of his reflection in the mirror, was the same woman, skeletal arm raised, teeth gleaming, but her head bowed, facial features unknown. Scrambling back, Seto fell back against the wall, clawing against it, as if trying to break it down. A flash of lightning and a roll of thunder destroyed the image, and he was left staring back at his own frightened self.   
  
"Pull yourself together," he ordered himself, and with some effort, pushed himself to his feet. Turning on the tap with the cold water knob, he waited until it was icy cold and splashed a copious amount on his face. "...I'm taking the next week off... n-no, the entire month... I can't ... can't go on like this." Taking a few deep and necessary breaths, Seto wiped his face with a towel and went back to bed. Pressing his face against the expensive linen pillow, he took one final deep breath before closing his eyes.   
  
* * *  
  
_Three weeks later _  
  
Jounouchi blinked slowly as he and Yugi were sitting on a bench on the sidewalk, people-watching. "Uh, Yuge... do you see what I see?"   
  
Yugi put down his fruit cup and glanced in the direction Jounouchi was pointing. Seto was walking in their direction, dressed in casual clothes except for the dark blue trenchcoat from Duellist Kingdom. "Gosh, he looks horrible," Yugi fretted. "He's probably working too much."   
  
"Who cares? The guy didn't even try to save Gramps! Who cares what happens to him," Jounouchi shrugged, leaning back against the bench. "Probably should buy himself a personality."   
  
Yugi frowned at his friend. "That's a horrible thing to say Jounouchi." He hopped off the bench and walked over to Seto. "Kaiba-san?"   
  
Seto stopped and looked down at Yugi. "...Yugi?"   
  
"Are you alright?" Yugi asked, looking concerned. "You look awful."   
  
Jounouchi expected Seto to respond with a rather mean retort, but instead, got this: "I feel awful...been working too hard." Yugi, surprised at the response, but politely stayed silent, not pushing the matter. Seto ran a hand through his hair, which had grown out a little due to his lack of caring about his appearance.   
  
"...Is something else bothering you?" Yugi asked, looking up at the taller boy. Insomnia was evident in his tired blue eyes, those same eyes that used to be so cold and full of confidence were a shell of their former perserverance.   
  
"...Darkness," was all Seto muttered before walking past Yugi and futher down the sidewalk.   
  
Yugi blinked slowly. "Darkness...?" Seto was already gone before Yugi could question him. 'Yami, what does that mean? Darkness?'   
  
The spirit of the puzzle appeared transparently beside his host. 'From what I could sense, Aibou, something has been troubling his mind. A nightmare...' Yami put his thumb under his chin, his index finger resting on his chin, under his bottom lip. 'It must be very horrible...if it is affecting Kaiba like this.' He looked at Yugi. '...but we cannot intrude on his personal life.' Yugi nodded and sat back down with Jounouchi.   
  
_Alleyway_  
  
"I'll say this one more time, spirit, get out of my way," she hissed, eyes narrowing. Standing in front of her was the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Bakura. The left side of her otherwise flawless face was ravaged with thick and thin black veins, her hair had thick white streaks, contrasting her raven-black hair. Two face-framing bangs that started at the middle of her forehead and came down were also white, the only other colour on her except black.   
  
"You don't scare me," Bakura sneered, standing his ground. The pointers of his ring were glowing and pointing at the female before him. While he was sure she did not carry any of the seven Millennium items, what intrigued him and made him stay was the overwhelming feeling of darkness that she embodied. "I want to see how strong you are." Smirking, he made conversation. "What do they call you?"   
  
"...Kurayami," she replied, not relaxing her stance. "And I have had just about enough of your pathetic displays." She reached up with her right hand and unclasped a clip that held a wrap of cloth around her left arm.   
  
"Quite an ego you have there," Bakura snickered, folding his arms. "Calling yourself the darkness?"   
  
A slight smirk appeared on her lips. "But you have called yourself that on many occasions. And you have absolutely no idea what the darkness truly is ... you're a mere ... powerless pawn." Letting the cloth slide off, Bakura's eyes widened then narrowed when he saw her skeletal arm. Crackling black energy surrounded the skeletal fist she soon made.   
  
"...That's what you are? A necromancer? And here I thought you were something different," Bakura smirked.   
  
"Better than being an over-confident thief," Kurayami replied evenly. "If you were really so smart and powerful, could you have escaped being sealed in that trinket?" The darkness swirled around her, whispering, hissing, as if it had a mind and spirit of its own. It creeped over to Bakura then suddenly whirled around him, creating a tight bind. Letting out a grunt, Bakura tried to use the powers of the Ring to free himself but only succeeded in making the bind tighter.   
  
"What kind of trickery is this?!" he demanded.   
  
"No trickery...this is the darkness..." she replied, moving her arm and swayed Bakura a little. Suddenly she made a throwing motion with her skeletal arm, throwing Bakura into the brick wall at a vicious speed. Bakura grit his teeth and refused to make a sound, even if he heard bones snap sickeningly in his arm and leg. Usually such a cheap tactic wouldn't hurt him, but the darkness coursed through his host's body, making him virtually defenceless. He slowly felt his body lose strength, and this Kurayami wasn't even breaking a sweat. She raised him up high, and as she walked away, picking up the black cloth, dropped Bakura from the height of 5 stories to the cracked, uprooted concrete road. "...Pathetic."   
  
As she walked out of the alley, her appearance suddenly changed, from the chilling rendition of darkness, to a normal looking teenage girl, dressed in black pants with a zipper that went all the way up both legs, a black tank top, a spiked wristband on her left wrist, thick black boots, and a silver chain with a black crystal was around her neck. The veins had vanished from her face, a mocha colour skintone, and her left arm was normal. Her hair was black, and her bangs were now blonde, her eyes no longer devoid of emotion, but a deep hazel brown. Walking down the sidewalk, she smirked slightly seeing Seto walk down the street, visibly shaken by the nightmare she tormented him with for the past six weeks.   
  
(Perfect...) Putting on a perfectly convincing normal expression, hiding the intention deep within her eyes, she began walking the opposite direction of Seto, purposely elbowing him in the gut.   
  
"Ugh!" Seto grunted, as she elbowed him particularily hard. "What did you--" His eyes widened for a moment when she turned around, for a brief second, saw the distorted, demon-like face of the woman that attacked him in his dreams. Letting out a shout of horror, he backed up quickly and hit his head rather hard on the metal pole behind him. Falling to a crumpled heap on the sidewalk, she put a hand to her mouth and knelt beside him.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asked, the perfect tone of concern in her voice. He made a frightened sound and looked up at her. "I don't look that bad, do I?" Blinking, Seto realized he had just made a fool out of himself to a complete stranger. "Come on, let me help you up." Taking his hand, she pulled him up. "I'm Sasha."   
  
Seto, now feeling completely ridiculous, refused to make eye contact. "...Seto Kaiba." Why he had to give his full name, he wasn't sure. Wait--everyone knew who he was. Why didn't she say anything? "Do you want something?"   
  
She gave a little smile, one that on the surface looked innocent. "Nothing that concerns you." Putting her hands in her pockets, she continued on her way down the sidewalk. (This is working better than I expected. One little nightmare's completely shaken him. Pity... I wanted to extend it a bit longer. Hm...perhaps if I get closer to him ... ) Snickering, she remembered his competitive nature. (I'm almost disappointed. His spirit was as fierce as the dragons he loves so much. Now he's about as intimidating as a brittle leaf. Then again .. ) She frowned, (his spirit's been broken by two defeats.) and ran a hand through her hair. ( ... For this to be fun, he needs to have it back.)   
  
Looking at a digital clock in a store window, she noticed it was October 25th. Six days and it would be Halloween. Looking at a skull ring on her right middle finger, she murmured, "I promise you much death, Yorick..." and chuckled.   
  
=TBC=   
  
**Author's notes:** So .. yay or nay? Reviews would be much appreciated. Also, pity for Seto is acceptable. XD;   
  
Yami Bakura: (my replacement muse) Cheh. Just wait for later. *waves hand* He'll need the pity and sympathy then. =D 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Author's notes: Okay, so not everything happens on Halloween. Just makes Mr. Kaiba more paranoid. Here's the second chapter. It's something from me at least. XD  
  
In the starkly stylized kitchen of his vast estate, Seto sat at the unnecessarily long table, staring at the elaborate sushi dish in front of him. His stomach growled impatiently, but he couldn't bring himself to pick up the chopsticks. In a move that was uncharacteristic of his normal behaviour, he picked up the shrimp roll and popped it into his mouth. There was something about the lack of refinement in the move that Seto oddly enjoyed. He didn't have the energy to be refined and picky about his eating habits, as his mannerisms slipped as the week went on.  
  
His new diet saw him gain and lose pounds in a strange fluxuation. But recently, he gained a few pounds and looked a bit healthier. The nightmare seemed to have stopped tormenting him, and he thought it was over. Seto's eating habits weren't the only things that were changing. The CEO of Kaiba Corporations also had a change in wardrobe. He dressed more his age in clothes by Ralph Lauren, Diesel, DKNY, and professionally in Armani. The nightmare had shattered his sense of being invincible, giving Seto almost a turn-around in his personality.  
  
The ancient Grandfather clock that was positioned across from Seto at the other end of the table, at the far wall rang eleven o'clock in the night. It was getting late. Finishing off the rest of the dish, Seto stood up and took the plate to the sink. The help had gone for the night, so his movements seemed to echo loudly in the vacant room. Pushing his hands in his pockets, he walked out of the kitchen, finding himself in the long corridor, one of many in his estate. The only strange thing that occurred to him was it seemed to be a little endless, like he was standing on a treadmill not moving at all, but his feet were moving. Shaking it off as his brain needing rest, Seto continued to walk.  
  
A flash of lightning illuminated the corridor and he stopped, actually startled. "I'm losing it," Seto muttered to himself, running a hand through his longish hair. Thunder rolled rather loudly. "It'll be a harsh storm..." Walking through the still lit corridor, the rain pounded against the building, and Seto wondered if Mokuba was hiding under his bed. (He was always afraid of thunderstorms,) he thought fondly. His complacent thoughts were cut off by a bright flash of lightning, and the power suddenly going out. (...?!) Looking around, he felt a switch and flicked it on and off numerous times, but the power was gone. Standing alone in the corridor, Seto heard someone's heels clicking against the tiled floor. "Who's there?"  
  
Another flash of lightning gave a brief outline of someone standing behind him. Frowning, Seto continued to walk, as the impeccable timing of lightning and thunder continued to sound off. The sound of the person's shoes continued to follow him. Finally, he turned around just as another flash of lightning struck. His eyes met with a murderous pair, and he realized it was the woman from his nightmare. She raised the spinal sword. "Do you see this?" she asked idly. "Your dear little brother decided to get in the way. I can't have that. But it's fitting ... that his bones will soon kill his 'nii-sama'." The beloved name dripped from her lips with a mocking tone. And then the sword came down.  
  
Screaming, Seto Kaiba shot up in bed, breathing hard. His hands were checking his body to see if there were any wounds. There was nothing. His chest was as it always was, slender and toned, and unscathed. The nightmare was changing. It wasn't like the one that he had for the last six weeks. It ... seemed so real. Scanning the room, he concluded he was still in his large bedroom, alone, as usual. His digital calendar showed it was October 25th ... for an hour longer. "I ... I need some air," Seto stammered, and pushed himself out of the bed and got dressed in black pants, a hastily buttoned up black shirt and his old blue trench coat. Checking first to see if Mokuba was alright, [the smaller Kaiba was perfectly fine, making a small shell with his blankets in his sleep] Seto left the Kaiba estate.  
  
Nearly running out of the mansion, Seto suddenly broke into a sprint, trying to get as far away as he could from his property. Running through the city that was blanketed in the night, the young executive found himself in the city square. Stopping to catch his breath, Seto glanced around. There were still people driving home, away from home, but they were few and far between, surprising Seto. Despite not being as large as Tokyo, Domino was still a fairly populated city. Walking more calmly now, he took deep breaths and calmed his racing heartbeat. Seeing the museum up ahead, Seto was surprised and curious to see that it was still open at this hour. Or if it wasn't, the lights must have been on for some reason. He walked up the steps and placed a hand on the doorknob. To his surprise, it turned and the door opened. Standing in front of him was a dark-haired woman dressed in tan Egyptian robes, a strange golden choker around her neck. "You're up late on your birthday."  
  
Seto raised an eyebrow at her. "Why is this place open so late?" he questioned, putting his hands in his pockets. "And who are you?"  
  
"It isn't, but your curiosity led you here for a reason," the woman replied, then smiled. "My name is Isis Ishtar. And you, Seto Kaiba, have been plagued by nightmares for over a month now about the dark woman handing you your death."  
  
His eyes widened slightly, and then narrowed at her. "How did you know that?"  
  
Isis chuckled. "I know many things that have happened. But tell me, what spikes your curiosity more? The fact I know about your nightmare, or the woman who shows you your death?"  
  
Frowning, Seto replied, "the woman. Who is she?"  
  
Isis' blue eyes lost their warmth and became somber. "She is what she is in your dream, Seto Kaiba. Death, destruction, the darkness itself. You are in danger, Seto Kaiba. Grave danger."  
  
Walking further into the museum, Seto walked past Isis and turned around, his coat whirling around him. "What does she want with me? Why am I being tormented like this?"  
  
"You are being tormented like this solely because it adds more fun for her," Isis explained, turning around. "As for what she wants with you, that is harder to explain. I cannot tell you everything, for sometimes, the mind needs to figure out these things for itself. I have one last thing to say to you right now, Seto Kaiba. Beware the one-winged raven." She then smiled, the warmth back in her dark blue eyes. "You should head back to your home. It is quite late."  
  
"Hn ..." Seto frowned, unsure of what to make of the vague answers Isis provided him  
  
with. Turning around, he stepped out of the museum, and began walking down the steps. (Psychics ... why don't they ever give straight answers? This whole thing is fucked up.) Making his way back to his home, Seto's mind began analyzing the latest dream. He saw her face this time. Musing, he remembered it was beautiful -- then promptly shuddered. Beautiful in a horribly demonic way. The flash of lightning caught a murderous intent in her eyes, her face ravaged by black veins. Promptly he shook his head and deemed himself ready for psychiatric treatment. (Only you would consider a psychotic dream woman to be beautiful. I'm going to schedule myself for a cat scan or something. I'm insane.)  
  
By the time he reached home, Seto was tired as hell. Shrugging off his coat, and changing into his night clothes, he flopped on his bed and fell asleep instantly.  
  
In a bare apartment in a developing section of Domino, Kurayami had been watching the exchange between Seto and Isis on a screen of sorts created by the darkness. "He doesn't realize how ancient his soul is," she mused, looking at his image. "Or how dark it can be. The Pharaoh's High Priest had a very mean spirit indeed. But his powers and memory are connected to an Item, the Rod. If I take his soul now it would be useless to me...the Rod is in another's hands...  
  
"Hm...This Isis Ishtar will build his spirit back, allude to his ancient past...I should pay her a visit. She could prove to be quite useful ... or a thorn in my side." Kurayami pushed herself out of the chair, turning back into her human self. "At least Seto had a productive birthday." She chuckled, and ran a hand through her hair. Hearing a noise outside, she walked to the window and looked out. Smiling grimly she saw the Ring spirit search for her. He wouldn't find her, even if she was right above him. (And then there's this one ... chasing what is beyond his understanding...cheh. I should get some sleep.) Chuckle (There is much to do tomorrow.) 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
There was another solution to insomnia the young CEO realized, and it wasn't work related. He sat in his bed, back against the expensive and exquisitely detailed headboard, with a leather bound book. The item had been purchased with the intension of using it to relieve his stress when work became too much, a release. But, it seemed work was more powerful than he realized and the book was left blank for a few years. Seto gently traced the imprinted design on the cover.

Picking up the pen from the night table, Seto clicked the top and opened the book. And then he stared at the blank page, as if the lines would tell him what to put down on them. (Where do I even start?) He thought, frowning slightly, (Probably with the nightmares...) As he pressed the pen's tip to the paper, the words easily began to flow from his fingers onto the page. Time flew by as Seto filled up page after page with vivid recollections of the nightmares that plagued him.After what seemed like only a few minutes, Seto glanced down and realized he had filled up a good twenty pages with his first real entry. Gently he placed the pen down beside him on the mattress and flipped back glancing briefly at the always perfectly written characters. A great relief swept over at him as he genuinely felt better after pouring his soul out to the inanimate counsel. So relieved was he that a rare smile crossed his pale lips, and it didn't dare grow any wider. There was a small, nagging feeling in his stomach not to let his guard down. History proved any small high will be met with a devastating low.However, Seto couldn't control his eyelids. They drooped down ever so often, demanding to the young man that they required shutting and refusing to be open any longer. His grip on the book loosened, as his eyes closed gently, a small sigh escaping him. Soon his entire body relaxed and he fell into a much-needed sleep.At twelve midnight, the Blue Eyes White Dragon clock on the far left corner of his dresser beeped quietly. One of the large French doors was left open, in Domino's sudden heat wave, any attempt to gather cold air was mandatory. In his new state, the common sense idea of jacking up the air conditioning didn't occur to the eldest Kaiba brother. At 12:01, a black figure appeared outside of the moonlit doors. Sliding through the open space of the door, the figure glanced around the room and saw Seto sleeping peacefully.Their feet didn't make a sound as they crossed the room over to the master bed. The black cloak brushed against the floor, giving the appearance the figure was gliding. A hood covered their face, hands clasped together, engulfed by the voluminous sleeves. Their lips curled into a smirk, eying the sleeping executive. Raising her hands, Kurayami lifted the hood from her head, setting it down. "It seems you've forgotten me, Seto Kaiba," she whispered, her breath dancing across his cheeks. "I can't have that...you're going to be very important to me later on..."Reaching over, Kurayami swiftly plucked the book from Seto's loose grasp. "Hm, what is it we have here?" She murmured. Flipping the book open, she read his recollection of her induced nightmares. It took quite some restraint not to laugh at how shaken up he was. Her plan was working perfectly, everything moving as she had envisioned, down to the last subtle movement. "I should leave you a bit of a note...to show my appreciation of your remembrance." Raising her skeletal arm, she pricked her right wrist, a small trickle of blood falling onto the porcelain white of the bone finger. Using her blood as ink, she wrote a small message back to the President of Kaiba Corporation. "I do hope you read my message, Seto..."Seto shifted slightly, the smell of her blood wafting up to his nostrils. Kurayami raised an eyebrow, and set the book down where she had picked it up from. "No, I don't want to buy your vacuum cleaner," he mumbled in his sleep.A wider smirk crossed Kurayami's lips, and she wiped her skeletal hand before placing it on his cheek, caressing it almost lovingly. "Oh my little High Priest," she chuckled, "Is that what you dream about? I think I should change that..." Leaning in, Kurayami placed a kiss on Seto's lips, her skeletal hand forcing black energy into Seto's mind. Smiling darkly to herself, Kurayami slowly moved back to the open French door, and left, without another sound.  
  
[Late Morning]  
  
Seto woke with a horrible crick in his neck, said body part incredibly stiff from sleeping with his head against hard wood. The pain was dull, yet sharp at the same time, and he rubbed his neck with some added pressure in order to alleviate the pain. He glanced down at his lap, noticing the book still there. "I fell asleep while reading it..." he mumbled to himself, picking it up. "What did I even write last?" Seto flipped the pages to the last page and stared in horror.Written in neat Kanji in crimson blood was a simple message, 'Sleep has evaded you, but the days draw nearer ... to when the only possibility is eternal rest.'Quickly he threw off the covers and stumbled to his closet where he threw on some clothes, and ran out of the room. There was only one person that could help him decipher what this message could possibly entail for him in the coming days. He sprinted out of the Kaiba estate to find Isis Ishtar.A lanky tanned male leaned against a lamppost, his amethyst eyes scanned the people scurrying past, holding their belongings close to their bodies, as if a random mugger will jump them at any second. He chuckled, brushing his starkly contrasting blonde hair out of his eyes. As he pushed himself off of the post, he noticed a tall brown haired young man run like he was being chased by a knife-wielding maniac.Curious, the foreign boy squinted, trying to get a better look at the sprinting male. (That's...quite odd to do out in broad daylight,) he thought. His eyes suddenly narrowed as he saw the other male run into the museum. (What business does he have in there?) Malik Ishtar didn't know the young man bursting into Isis' museum, but he was damn well going to make sure it had nothing to do with his sister. He was going to have to check this one out himself.Malik pushed his way through the crowd none too gently, ignoring the cries and curses that flew out from the disgruntled public that was directed at him. He was intent on reaching his destination, and find out just what the hell that guy was doing. Soon Malik reached the steps of the museum and walked in, keeping his footsteps quiet, easily spotting the sprinter, as he had stopped to look around, trying to figure out where Isis was. "Now just what is the hurry?" he murmured to himself.He followed the taller male into room after room, keeping himself out of view as the latter finally found Isis, who was examining an old artefact. "You have to help me!" He demanded horror and anxiety rampant in his voice.Malik's sister turned around, her eyes clouded with worry. "Seto? What is the matter? You look dreadful," she said, putting a hand to her mouth."That woman!" Seto exclaimed, waving his book around. Apparently this should have clued Isis into the situation, but her eyes still showed she hadn't a clue what was bothering Seto. Seto dropped his voice to a whisper. "The demon woman," he whispered, clutching the book. "She came to me."Isis frowned deeply. "She has?" Suddenly she turned around and closed the doors leading into the room, locking them with her administrator key. "We can have the privacy we need now." Isis looked at him. "Tell me what happened, everything."Seto closed his eyes, took a shaky breath and opened his eyes as he began to speak. "Last night, I had trouble getting to sleep ... I've been ... well a raging insomniac the last few days, and I found this book I bought months ago. I bought it to write in as a journal of sorts, but work took away its primary purpose...so that night I began writing in it about the dreams I've had and just...everything. It was an amazing release."Soon enough I dozed off after writing twenty pages. I don't remember anything other than that, it was the first time I've ever had a dreamless sleep. But then, the next morning I wake up and besides my stiff neck, there was this ... horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, what you get when the day starts off terrible...I remembered the book that was in my lap and opened it, to see just how much I had written..."And that's when I saw it on the last page. There was...a message written to me, written in blood, that said 'Sleep has evaded you, but the days draw nearer ... to when the only possibility is eternal rest.' I couldn't think straight. I still can't. I thought this was all in my head and you were full of crap, but now this...this cements it...some crazed psycho is after me and I don't know where they'll come from next!" Seto explained, running a hand through his hair.Isis' frown deepened, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me, Seto. There is something I must show you now." Seto nodded, unsure of what the proprietor of the museum had in mind, but at this point, he was willing to go along with anything. The two left through the door on the east wall.  
  
Malik came out of his hiding spot, vaguely surprised that Isis' Tauk didn't alert her to his presence and subsequent eavesdropping. The whole ordeal that this Seto described to his sister intrigued him. A demonic woman with such unearthly powers was tormenting him in his sleep and now consciousness? Someone with such powers would most definitely be a powerful ally.It was then that Malik Ishtar decided he would go on a search for Seto Kaiba's mental tormentor. Grasping the Millennium Rod that was in its holster on his belt, his lips curled into a smirk. There was no doubt in his mind, that not only would this primarily abysmal trip to Japan not be a total waste, it may just be the best thing he's ever done. "I will find you, Mistress of the Dark," he whispered to himself. "We shall have quite the conversation..."  
  
**-TBC-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**  
  
**Author's note:** From here on in, I'm jacking the rating up to R, because here's where the character death starts. I'm not taking any requests on who I should off next after this chapter, just so you know. Enjoy!

* * *

As he followed Isis through the halls of the museum, Seto frowned, clutching the book in his left hand. The walls were covered with Egyptian artifacts, many of them including the Eye motif that was on Isis' choker. His throat was dry, and as he swallowed to allow some kind of moisture to wet it, it was still parched, and Seto coughed. After a sigh, Seto stopped, hearing Isis speak: "Here."  
  
He turned his head to look at her. "Here?" He asked, blinking slowly. Isis smiled grimly, and gestured in front of her. Seto looked to where she was pointing and his eyes widened. There before him were two large slabs of rock, clearly thousands of years old. Inscribed upon these slabs of rock were pictures, detailing some very familiar images. Seto felt as if his chain was being yanked. "Is this some kind of joke?"  
  
Isis shook her head and exhaled softly. "This is no joke, Seto Kaiba. What you see here is your past, which has stemmed from three thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt. No doubt these pictures look familiar to you."  
  
"Yes, these are duel monsters," Seto replied, pointing at one of the slabs. "That's the Dark Magician ... and my Blue Eyes! These two ... that's Yugi and myself! This must be some kind of joke!" He frowned at her. "What the hell does this have to do with why that deranged woman is after me?"  
  
"It has everything to do with it, Seto," Isis answered, her hands clasped together. "For you see, that is the Pharaoh and you were his High Priest. It has been predetermined through the millenniums that you two will face against each other. History is beginning to repeat itself." She pointed to the two duel monsters above their masters. "The Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon are natural enemies, this battle was set so long ago, and so much hatred was staked upon this duel."  
  
Seto sighed, rubbing his forehead. There was no way this day could get any worse or any weirder. "So...if I believe this crap you're telling me, I'm some Priest from three thousand years ago? And I served Yugi?"  
  
"Yami," she interjected and he raised an eyebrow. "The ancient spirit within Yugi's Millennium Puzzle is the Pharaoh from the past. Surely you have noticed a great duelling skill that rivals and beats your own." Isis turned to him. "In the past, the High Priest wanted nothing more than to dethrone the Pharaoh and have all the power to himself to rule Egypt. He commanded the four Blue Eyes White Dragons, exuded an extremely high amount of power...  
  
"Yet the Pharaoh defeated him in the duel that would determine who would rule Egypt," Isis continued, keeping her gaze locked with Seto's. "The Pharaoh was the strongest, and now it was proven."  
  
The young Billionaire frowned and eyed her. "So answer me this, prophet: If this Pharaoh is so strong, why doesn't this freak go after him?"  
  
Isis smiled grimly. "Because the Pharaoh's soul is too pure, Seto...I suspect she is going after you because the High Priest's soul was so corrupt, so filled with hatred and contempt, that it would be perfect for her dark hunger." She walked closer to him, noticing the look of slow realization in Seto's eyes. "The only advantage you have is that it is not yet time for you to meet your destiny, Seto. Your soul and path are no where near reaching the High Priest Seth's level."  
  
"What are you saying? Stop speaking in riddles!" Seto demanded, easily getting frustrated with the information Isis was telling him.  
  
"Perhaps if I simplify it for you in this manner you will grasp the gravity of the situation," Isis compromised, her voice having an edge to it, as her Tauk began to glow. "You are the reincarnation of the High Priest Seth, whether you choose to accept it or not, the fact you haven't met with your destiny, is the only thing keeping you alive. Because you aren't 'evil' enough yet, Kurayami has spared you."  
  
As Isis spoke, Seto grabbed his head as a pain rivalling a thunderous migraine rampaged through it. He fell to his knees, clutching his head. Images began rolling through his subconscious; he saw an ancient throne room, with a young man resembling the duelling identity of Yugi, and himself. Seto frowned and groaned as the images pounded themselves into his brain, as he saw the duel, and how scarily similar it was to the previous duels he's had with Yugi. Or...should he say, the nameless Pharaoh. "I ... I don't know what's going on anymore!" he cried out in frustration. "Why is this happening to _me_?!"  
  
"I wish I could tell you that," Isis frowned, as she looked down at Seto's trembling form. "But you cannot give up. You are handing yourself over to her and you do not want to do that, trust me. You've only seen her in your dreams and she's come to you in your sleep. You want to prepare yourself for when she decides to meet you in person. Seto Kaiba, what I have told you here will help keep you alive."  
  
"...What do I have to do?"

* * *

"I'm telling you this is a short cut!" Rex Raptor muttered, as he adjusted his toque, and turned to Weevil Underwood. "Will you shut up already?!"  
  
Weevil narrowed his eyes at Rex. "Do you even know where you're going? I don't see this as a way to the card shop!"  
  
Rex was about to retort when the once clear sky above them in the alleyway turned to pitch black. "What the hell...?"  
  
His green haired companion blinked and let out a frightened yelp. "What was that? It was bright a few moments ago? Oh, what treacherous web have you thrown us into now, Rex Raptor?!" He hugged himself tightly as he looked around, unable to see anything except for Rex who was right beside him in the creeping darkness.  
  
Rex didn't have much of an answer, for he himself had no idea what was going on either. "Maybe we're just really tired and our minds our playing tricks on us," he suggested, worry creeping into his voice. "Yeah, that's got to be it, right?" Rex yelped as he heard footsteps slowly approaching them. "Someone's coming, Weevil!"  
  
Weevil adjusted his bug-themed glasses and looked around. "I don't see anything! I hope we are dreaming!"  
  
A chilling cold breeze wrapped around them both, as the footsteps came closer. The two amateur duellists grabbed each other in fear. This had gone way beyond just being creepy and the two were just plain scared now. Whimpers escaped them as the footsteps continued to come closer. Finally in the moonlight, Rex saw the outline of the person stalking them. "Who are you?!"  
  
Suddenly a heeled boot caught Weevil in the side with such force it sent him crashing into the left wall of the alleyway with a sickening thud. Rex turned around and looked around him wildly, but saw nothing. His heart was beating hard enough to burst out of his chest. An idea struck him and he tried to run, but was grabbed roughly. Rex cried out in pain, and a chuckle served to only raise his fear even more.  
  
He was thrown to the cold concrete, and tried to curl up into a small ball. However, he was uncurled, and was being straddled by his attacker. "There's no need to be scared, little boy," the feminine voice said softly. "Death is close for you..." She raised her skeletal arm which was highlighted by the moonlight. Rex let out a frightened sound and tried to squirm out of her grasp, but to no avail.  
  
Kurayami smirked as she suddenly plunged her skeletal nails into Rex's shoulder socket. His screams of pain were enjoyable to her, as she wedged them in further, cutting easily through his skin and bone. She pressed harder against his groin, eyes narrowing on his shoulder socket, where she allowed the black veins that ravaged her face to slither into Rex's open wound. Rex screamed louder, as he could feel her pull his arm away, hearing his skin tear like paper.  
  
The demonic woman looked down at him as he continued to scream and thrash beneath her. However pleasant the sounds were to her previously, they now annoyed and angered her. Seto Kaiba's screams would sound infinitely better, she thought and after setting his de-attached arm down on the pavement, thrust her skeletal hand into his skull, dark energy crackling around the bone. She could feel his moist brain surrounding her fingers and grinned as she spread the blight into it. Rex stopped moving. "There..." she smiled, standing up and picking up his arm.  
  
Her attention was grasped by Weevil groaning and only now getting to his feet. He could feel so many bones being broken and tried to run out of the alleyway. "I ... oh ... God ... have to get out of here ...!" Feebly, he began to half-jog, not aware that Kurayami was watching him with annoyed eyes.  
  
"Oh no you don't, my little prey," She murmured, tearing the skin and muscle off of Rex's arm with her teeth, exposing the bone. His blood stained her lips and chin, as she suddenly threw the arm, pinning Weevil by his neck to the dumpster. "My aim has improved..." She chuckled darkly, licking the blood off of her lips and chin. "This was quite the warm up..."  
  
As Kurayami walked out of the alley, vanishing into the shadows, the alleyway returned back to normal, the sun coming out and shining upon the corpses of Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood. With her first taste of blood, which tasted so good to her lips, Kurayami had started her campaign.  
  
Malik crossed by the alleyway and his amethyst eyes widened at what he saw. "I'm closer than I think to you...I will find you. You will be perfect my mistress of the dark, to be my Queen when I become Pharaoh..."

**-TBC-**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Author's notes: **I'm in a rather foul mood thanks to the early snowfall, and I refuse to move out of my bed, so here's some more Puppet!

Marik Ishtar sat on his concrete throne, his rare hunters cloaked in dark purple in front of him. They knelt before him, loyal subjects to their dark pharaoh. His amethyst eyes scanned the room. Several days had passed after the murders of Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor. The police hadn't found any clues or leads to the mysterious killings. He knew very well who was behind it, and was somewhat amazed that the tournament hadn't been cancelled because of such an occurrence.

This tournament seemed more important than he suspected to Seto Kaiba. "What he should be more afraid of is for his life," Marik murmured. He then looked at this Rare Hunters. "I want you to find the Pharaoh and his friends, make their lives miserable. I want those God Cards!" His minions nodded, quickly scattering. As they fled, Marik caressed the smooth surface of his Millennium Rod. This demonic woman stalking Seto Kaiba eluded him constantly, and even his most skilled trackers in his clan of thieves, couldn't find a trace of her. "You're quite the tricky one, aren't you..."

He got up from his throne, and stepped down, the purple silk brushing against the cold concrete floor. He murmured to himself about finding this intriguing mistress of death, his golden hair swishing around his shoulders. The young Ishtar heir paced around his underground lair, utterly stumped. "You should be careful what you wish for," a smooth voice murmured behind him. Mark whirled around, seeing Kurayami sprawled out horizontally on his throne. Her long, bi-coloured hair cascading down onto the base of the throne. "Here I am..."

Marik's eyes widened then a smirk crossed his tanned lips. "So here you are indeed," he said, folding his arms. "I was wondering if you were just a passing fantasy of mine. You've been quite quiet these past few days."

Kurayami didn't move from her spot and smirked slightly. "There is something to be said for patience." She then sat up straight. "How can fear properly do its work if there is no time to let it ferment?" Slowly she crossed over to him, and put her hands on her hips. "Let me get right to the point. I will need your assistance. Seto Kaiba's soul is of no use to me as it is. You are after the Pharaoh's power, which resides in Kaiba's nemesis..."

"My assistance?" Marik echoed, his lips curling into a confident smirk. "Then I believe we can be of help to each other. Only when Kaiba faces Yami will his soul be ready for you to snatch. I know this much because of my interfering sister, Isis. Let me torment them for a little while out in their field of expertise, and it will be plum pickings for you, my mistress..." Although she was right in front of him, and speaking directly to him, Marik reached out to touch her face.

She grabbed his wrist with her skeletal hand, shaking her head. "Indulging in these little fantasies of yours will take your eyes off the prize." She pushed his hand away, and turned around. "The only one who interests me is Seto Kaiba." With that, the darkness swirled around her as she walked, and within moments, she was no where to be seen. Marik smirked, his pink tongue flicking against the golden head of the Rod. This was going to be a very lucrative partnership...

--- ---

A young, brown-skinned male dressed in white glanced around the bustling city. He sensed death, and darkness swirling around everywhere. Shaking his head, he knew his destination, and crossed through the crowds to Isis Ishtar's museum. He pushed a door open, and set foot inside of the building, raking a hand through his longish black hair. They were in here, both of them. He was quite lucky to have them both in the same room at the same time, although anything less would not have sufficed. Passing various artefacts, his hazel eyes searched for the two people he desired to speak to.

Finally, he spotted Isis Ishtar speaking with Seto Kaiba in front of two giant slabs of rock behind panes of glass. They noticed someone intruding on their private conversation, and turned to see him. "May I help you?" Isis asked, maintaining her professional demeanour, while Seto remained expressionless.

"Actually I can help you," he replied, moving over to them. "My name is Rick, and I have information about Kurayami."

Seto's eyes widened and was about to grab Rick and hoist him up by the collar, to demand he spit out the information at once. Isis raised a hand to stall him. "I sense no treachery in your "

Rick nodded, and looked around. "Is there somewhere we can sit down? This will take some time, and some of it may be hard to believe." Isis nodded, and gestured to Seto and Rick to follow her to a back room, with three chairs around a circular table. Rick sat down across from Seto and Isis, and cleared his throat. "I know that Kurayami has been stalking a young Japanese man for quite some time. She had gone missing from where I am from, and it's taken us up to now to fully track her down."

"Where you're from?" Seto repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And who is 'us'?"

"I'm getting there," Rick said, waving a hand, dismissing Seto's remarks. "North America, Canada in particular, is where I mean. And what I mean by us...well this is going to seem rather farfetched, but I hope you'll bear with me. There is eight of us, kids just the same age and previously enjoying high school. One day we received these necklaces." He paused, and fingered a Japanese character 'Light' shaped out of pure Diamond around his neck. "Each of them were for a specific element: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Thunder, Holy, Light...and Darkness.

"We are called upon to stop a sorcerer of dark magic, who desires to control the world," Rick continued. "It sounds like something from a bad comic book, doesn't it? However, it became very real. He took the body of one of our classmates, and slowly began a rampage that's shed much blood. The leader of our warriors, Holy, began to get intoxicated with her power, knowing no one could challenge her. She would constantly berate Darkness, and Darkness boiled with anger, vowing to knock Holy from her high horse. When her love was injured by the Sorcerer, Darkness went mad...absolutely enraged that his had occurred, and Holy had done nothing to stop it.

"Her anger was understandable. One can only take so much crap before snapping," Rick frowned deeply, and Isis noted there was some connection to Darkness he had that Rick wasn't letting on. "But the way she went about it...none of us could handle her. Not even Holy. Darkness left the country, saying something about a way to increase her power so even the Gods could not challenge her power."

"You know quite a bit about Darkness...Kurayami," Isis began slowly, and gently. Seto was staring at the two of them in disbelief. This was turning into a mystical three-ringed circus, and his life was at the epicentre. "You are Light, the Ying to Kurayami's Yang..."

"There is a good reason for that," Rick said, and took a deep breath. "I'm very in tune to her feelings, and to her in general because she is my twin sister." Seto's eyes widened, and he sat up straight in his chair, while Isis nodded, her suspicion confirmed. "I'm here because I know she is here, and this is the young man she has been after. I believe I can help you, and hopefully, get my sister back."

"She was never like this, was she?" Isis questioned lightly.

Rick shook his head. "She was cold at times, sure...sarcastic, but she was ... never like this. But losing her deepest love really set her off. I do have hope that I can bring her back, to the way she used to be. But it will be difficult. The Darkness has a firm hold on her, and she's welcomed its intoxicating and detrimental powers with open arms. She's given herself wholly over to this darkness...and the murders that occurred here a while ago are a clear indication of how far she's fallen." He looked at Seto, seeing clearly that her nightmares have permanently changed him. "Well...at least she chose a cute one to torment."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Seto demanded, clenching his fists. "I'm being stalked by some deranged psycho and you see fit to crack jokes?"

Rick blinked, then smiled a little. "Calm down, Kaiba. Go about your business with this tournament. Fate has strange ways of working these things out." Seto snarled, not liking this guy's attitude one bit, and stood up, stalking out. "It's remarkable how easy it is to get this guy angry."

Isis laughed slightly, shaking her head. "He's been through quite a bit at the hands of this woman. He is not quite sure how to act, seeing as how everything he believed about himself has been thrown into question."

"Yeah, that would do it, wouldn't it?" Rick mused, stroking his chin. _Who knows really what is going to happen. I've made a large step getting here and explaining the situation to Kaiba and to Isis. But, there is still the task of banishing the darkness from Didi's1 heart...but I am not going back until I see her back to normal. _"Say, Isis...I'm not much of a history buff...do you think you can fill me in on Ancient Egypt?"

"Specifically the High Priest and the Pharaoh, you mean?" Isis supplied, and Rick nodded, giving her a brilliant smile. "Of course, it is the least I can do." Rick thanked her, and she began explaining the past, as much as she knew. _This boy's aura...there is something else that he is to do here, someone else's life he is meant to touch with his light, infectious personality...But there is no time to muse on this. I must stop my brother and this woman from destroying the world. I will do everything in my power to do so..._

-TBC-


End file.
